Palace: No multi-million PR campaign vs Arroyo

Malacañang on Friday denied spending millions of pesos just to malign former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who now represents the second district of Pampanga in the House of Representatives. "Ang pondo ho kasi ng gobyerno limitado ho yan. And of course, it is not true. We would rather spend it where the money is needed kesa po doon sa sinasabi nilang multi-million PR fund," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing. Lawyer Raul Lambino, Mrs. Arroyo’s legal spokesperson, was quoted in a newspaper as saying that the former state leader hired the best and expensive lawyers to counter the Aquino administration’s supposed multi-million peso public relations campaign against her. Valte said it is within Mrs. Arroyo’s right to assemble the best defense she could get. "Well, every person is entitled to the best defense that they can have or they can afford," she said. But she reminded Lambino that it was not the Aquino administration that filed charges against the former Philippine leader. "Paalala lang po natin na hindi naman po gobyerno yung nagpa-file nung mga plunder cases na hinaharap po niya. Mga private citizens po ito, yung iba po also in public service but belonging to a separate and independent branch of government," she said. Valte said given the limited resources of the government, Malacañang would rather focus on things that benefit the people. "Hindi ho natin masasabi na naglalabas ho ang pamahalaang Aquino ng pera dahil mas gusto po natin, given the limited resources that we have, i-focus ito doon sa mga tao at hindi ho sa mga bagay na ganito," she said. "Stage managed daw po ito but from what you can see kahit naman po yung mga hindi natin kaalyado ay nagpa-file po ng mga kaso po laban sa kanila," she added. Earlier this week, Akbayan filed a P325-million plunder complaint against Mrs. Arroyo. This was the fifth one lodged against the former President since she stepped down of office last year. Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares also filed earlier this month a plunder complaint against Mrs. Arroyo before the Office of the Ombudsman for the alleged misuse of PCSO funds during her term. Three other plunder cases have been filed before the Department of Justice. The cases involve accusations of: